PBev — that’s Patrick Beverly, better known before this year as the guy who knocked Russell Westbrook out of the playoffs (and the start of this season). But Beverly has also shown flashes of brilliance this preseason, including a two minute stretch in which he thoroughly embarrassed Jrue Holiday. He looks good, and Lin has been something of an average point guard since he came over from New York — though perhaps a big part of his ineffectiveness comes from trying to share the ball with James Harden so much.

Frankly, I’m more perplexed about Omer Asik and Dwight Howard sharing a front court together — that makes even less sense than Howard and Pau Gasol did last year. But Lin dropping out of the starting five is big news, despite public claims that he wouldn’t mind coming off the bench. Everyone wants to start. Things could change as the season goes on, but justified or not, starting the year on the bench means something.

Might the Rockets be looking to drop Lin for the second time in his career?